Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) in NATO and National Concepts

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A report for COMISAF recommended “a ‘deep dive’ to identify non-lethal capabilities and options”, as initial
data showed 80-90% reductions in undesired outcomes (own force
casualties or civilian casualties) when Non-Lethal Weapons (NLW) were
available. The STO/CSO Research Task Group SAS-094 on ‘Analytical
Support to the Development and Experimentation of NLW Concepts’ has
carried out this deep dive and provided the analysis and data to support
effective NLW implementation in NATO.

NATO Forces are facing increasingly complex military operations; current options
are often reduced to whether or not to use lethal force. Technology
provides another option - NLW - which allows battlefield commanders to
disable potential adversaries and gain time. For more than a decade
NATO has had an active interest in NLW, with the North Atlantic Council
identifying NLW as a “critical, additional capability needed in order to meet the demands of future operations.”

The
SAS-094 research team collaborated deeply with other NATO Bodies, most
notably with the NATO Defense Against Terrorism Programme, NATO Army
Armaments Group and the NATO Industrial Advisory Group – and externally
with several EU and European Defense Agency projects. Early on RTG
SAS-094 established a working group for cooperating with other
organizations within and outside NATO. This working group was critical
to the success of two NATO Non-lethal Technology Exercises in 2015 and
2016 (NNTEX 15M and NNTEX16L).

In recognition of the tremendous
depth, breadth, and creativity of their analytical work and the tangible
military benefit for NATO and member nations, the RTG SAS-094 members
will be presented the 2017 Science and Technology Scientific Achievement
Award.